I guess I just wanted to toss the topic of ROH DVD's out there for anyone else who might agree/disagree with me.

Basically, I've been getting ROH DVD's regularly for a long time now, and it seems like lately they're just getting lazy on commentary. And quite frankly, it's ruining the whole ROH experience for me. I find this especially frustrating as a West Coast resident who's only been able to attend 1 ROH show ever and experience it for what it really is. (oh yeah, I also don't get HDNet either)

With that said, I feel that ROH has been dropping the ball on their most recent DVD's, I'd say maybe from mid-summer til now.

First off, the new commentary team of Lenny Leonard and Chris Hero is bland on a lot of levels. One, Hero is boring, plain and simple. He doesn't have the delivery of a commentary person, and I think his reactions to moves seem canned and fake. Two, both Leonard and Hero play heel. I found the team much more interesting when Dave Prazak played face and went at it with Leonard the heel. Finally, when Eric Santa Maria subs in during Hero's matches, he's really no better. I'm not sure what happened to Prazak but I hope he comes back.

Perhaps most disappointing out of all this though is that in addition, they've also turned the volume way up on the commentators. Therefore, you can't hear pops and chants as clearly. It's almost as if ROH has turned into an empty arena match federation. Sure, the argument can be made that someone should judge a match based on his/her own opinions and not jump on bandwagons, but I think something else can be said for the live crowd reactions putting a move or a wrestler over. The crowd can see and hear things that cameras can't capture, like the stiffness of a move, the angle of a landing, or even a wrestler's presence/charisma.

I think commentary is an essential part of wrestling, especially on the indy scene where someone watching a DVD might not know all the storylines and move sets of the wrestlers. But also, the volume of the commentary shouldn't overshadow the live atmosphere, i.e. pops and chants. That's just as essential to wrestling as anything else. Just as an example, I love watching PWG DVD's because, as someone who used to live in LA and go to PWG shows very regularly, I can still feel as if I'm there, yet hearing Excalibur mark out on commentary, i.e. "that was a DVD... Death Valley DEATH!!!" adds a new, enjoyable dimension to the experience as well.

So basically wrestling fans, I feel that boring and loud commentary doesn't do much for putting over your wrestling company. Agree/Disagree?

Totally agree with you. I think the biggest problem is that the commentary sounds like its post recorded, it's not even like they try to hide that fact. Prazak sounds horribly bored. Hero is horrible, and that Santmarino (whatever his name is), is one of the worst commentators i've ever heard as fan. My God does he set a new standard for bad cliched commentary. I know there is a 'turn commentary off' feature, but I like watching wrestling with commentary. I really wish the commentary was recorded live so that maybe they could sound excited about the product, but lately, even though ROH have been putting on some strong shows, the commentary is letting them down big time. Hell they've got Jimmy Cornette now, who's at every show. I don't think it would be that much harder to do live commentary.

I think Excalibur is great on commentary. He adds to the match, and makes it just sound that more exciting on top of the fans reactions and that actual matches.

ROH has gone downhill and I used to be a huge fan. The commentating team from last year or early this year made me wanna shit cinder blocks. Why? Because it was basically like Prazak trying to be...well basically trying to be Lenny's "Jerry Lawler." And he failed miserably at it. You know, trying to disagree with Leonard; and rooting for heels. I used to really enjoy ROH's neutral commentary from basically '02-'07 or so. That usually worked for me. The company isn't that great anymore, though. Although I liked Big Bang from this year.

I used to always say, Ring of Honor is nothing without Gabe Sapolsky. I guess I was right.

My problem with ROH is it seems like they do WAY too many shows to keep up with now. I could be imagining, but from 04-06 or so, when it felt really hot, you'd get maybe 2 or 3 shows a month. Now it seems like they are doing 5 or more many months. This is a bigger issue when you consider that this means they have to match up the same teams over and over again so often, so the shows feel a little stale. I like the Wolves, Briscoes, KoW as much as the next guy, but god damn they wrestle each other EVERY SHOW. I dig Tyler and like the three way feud they built up with him, but sometimes I think they waited to long to give him the strap.

The Embassy is fine, but just feels a little played out. And they're holding Joey back. Get him up the card!

The current ROH product is picking up steam IMO at least from an in-ring standpoint.

Several shows in 2010 have been great like 8YA, Epic Encounter III, From The Ashes, The BIg BANG, Pick Your Poison, Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies II, Supercard Of Honor V and Death Before Dishonor VIII.

However, I've been forced to watch all of those shows with the commentary OFF....Dave Prazak and the revolving door of announce partners are the most godawful announce team of any promotion I follow including WWE and TNA .

Dave Prazak has become one of the most awful commentators over the last three years but alot of that is the fault of Ring Of Honor for not doing live commentary, It is impossible for commentary to be great if you are trying to re-inact the excitement of a show that has happened weeks ago when you are sitting in an empty room doing post-production commentary.

For a promotion that has National TV and IPPV's I don't get how they still can't do live commentary for their shows... If PWG, CHIKARA, CZW and other indies can pull it off.....WHY CAN'T ROH DO IT?

The commentary has been really lackluster for awhile now. Leonard and Prazak were a good combo when it came to meshing, having the right level of excitement, good banter and simply just calling the action.